Fence-machine.



J. D. STODDARD. FENCE MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED DEC}. 26, 1905.

1,092,409. Patented Apr. '7, 1914,

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FENCE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 28, 1905.

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. D. STODDARD FENCE MACHINE.

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J. D. STODDARD.

FENCE MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED D2026, 1905 1,092,409. Patented Apr. 7, 19M

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onrrnn STATES PATENT ormon.

JOHN D. STODDARD, 0F CAMBRIDGE CITY, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR, BY ME'SNEASSIGN- MENTS, TO INTERLOGKING FENCE COMPANY, 0F MORTON, ILLINOIS, ACORPORA- TION OF ILLINOIS.

memos.

FENCE-MACHINE.

Patented Apr. '7, 1914:.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN D. SToDDARD, acitizen of the United States, residing at Cambridge City, in the countyof Wayne and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fence- Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of my invention is to produce a power driven machine capableof making that type of wire fence which consists of several pairs ofrunning wires, the wires of each pair twisted together at anintermediate point between the two pickets oppositely toward thepickets.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention; Fig.2 a transverse vertical section in one of the twisting planes; Fig. 3 ahorizontal section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4: an enlarged verticalsectional detail of the forming drum; Fig. 5 a plan of that portion ofthe forming drum at the point of twisting; Fig. 6 a sectional detail ofone of the twisting mechanisms on line 66 of Fig. 7; Fig. 7 a sectionaldetail of the same parts on line 77 of Fig. 6; and Figs. 8 and 9 detailsof different styles of fence which can be made with my machine; Fig. 10is a side elevation of a part of one of the heads 16 with a modifiedform of gage plate for determining the proper positioning of thepickets, and Fig. 11 is a plan thereof.

In the drawings 10 indicates a suitable supporting frame in which isjournaled a horizontal shaft 11 carrying at one end a worm wheel 12driven by a worm 13 on the main drive shaft 14 which is also journaledon the main frame.

Keyed upon the shaft 11, and adjustable longitudinally thereon, areseveral wheels or heads 16 each of which is notched in its periphery inorder to receive a plurality of twistergear-brackets 17 which are boltedfirmly to the head as clearly shown in Figs. 4, 6 and 7. Each of thetwister-gear-brackets 17 consists of apair of mating members each havinga pair of fingers 17 adapted to embrace the hub 18 of a twister-gear 18,in a well-known manner. Each of said twister gears is provided withexternal gear teeth and has formed therein a radial Wirereceiving slot18 into which are introduced the two wires to be twisted together.Brackets 17 are provided, immediately beneath the twister gear, with anotch 17 The twister gears of the several heads are regularlyarrangedangularly about the head and the heads are similarly placed upontheshaft so that the twister gears of the several heads will be in axialalinement. The several gears of each axial series or sets are connectedby a rack-bar 2O slidably mounted in the alined notches 17", thearrangement being such that, by shifting the rack-bar axially thetwister gears geared therewith will be rotated simultaneously, in onedirection or the other.

Arranged between each circumferential two twister-gears is means forretaining and properly spacing the transverse pickets which are to beassociated with the running wires (hereafter mentioned). In the drawingsI show this retaining means as a crotch bracket 21 attached to theperiphery of the head 16 between each two twister gears, said crotchbracket being adapted to receive the transverse pickets. In the drawingsI have shown the transverse pickets as consisting of U-shaped portions22 the legs of which straddle a longitudinal set of twister gears; andsome shorter cross-wire pickets 23 which are nested between the lowerends of the legs of each U-shaped picket.

The fence is to be formed of pairs of running wires 25 and 26 and thepickets placed between the two sets of running wires. The lower runningwire 25 of each pair is drawn from any suitable supply and passes upwardaround an idler 27 and thence over an idler 28 and around the twisterdrum, lying in the radial slots 18 of a circumferential set of twistergears. The upper running wire 26 of each pair goes from a point abovethe machine over an idler 29 and thence beneath an idler 30 and into theradial slots 18 of a circumferential set of twister gears, on top of thecorresponding running wire 25. The pairs of running wires pass from theunder side of the twister drum around an idler 31 and thence to thefabric reel 82 which may be of any desired form. The

twister drum or frame (composed of shaft 11, heads 16, twister gears 18and racks 20) may be advanced intermittently step-by-step or rotatedcontinuously, and in the drawings I show, as has already beenexplained,means for causing continuous advance of the drum, as I believethis to be preferable. As the drum advances the running wires are drawnforward with and over the drum and the transverse pickets, of anydesired form, are laid in the retainers 21, passing under spring fingers10 which serve to hold them in place until they are engaged by the upperset of running wires 26. WVhen an axial set of twister gears has reachedapproximately the point X (see Fig. 4:) the corresponding rack bar 20 isengaged by a pusher 4:1 and pushed endwise through thetwister-gearbrackets, thus rotating the connected twister gears so as totwist the pairs of running wires lying in the radial slots of saidtwister gears together in opposite directions beginning at a point halfway between two adj acent transverse pickets, in a manner wellunderstood in the art. The twisting move ment of the twister wheels issuch as to carry the radial slots somewhat beyond the opening betweenthe two sets of embracing fingers 17 in order to compensate for theelasticity of the twisted running wires; and in order to make sure thatthe twister gears will stand so that the open ends of the radial slots18 will lie adjacent the space between said embracing fingers, I providea spring arm 45 which engages the projected rack bars 20 as they advanceand partially returns them, thus permitting the fabric to be withdrawnfrom the twister gears at the point Y. Y The pusher 11 is carried by aframe which is movable on the main frame parallel with the axis of theshaft 11 and is reciprocated in proper time by any suitable means, such,for instance, as the pitman 51 which is pivoted at one end to the frame50 and at the other end to a wrist pin 52 carried by a gear 53 meshingwith a pinion 54 carried by the main drive shaft 14. At the end of frame50 opposite the end to which the pusher tl is attached, is a secondpusher 55 which is arranged to engage the rack bars 20, after the fabrichas been withdrawn from the twister gears, and return said rack bars totheir normal position where theymay be again engaged, in due turn, bythe pusher 4:1. The fabric reel 32 may be driven by any suitable meansas, for instance, the train of gearing which con nects it with the maindrive shaft 14.

It will be readily understood that ordinary slat pickets as shown inFig. 8 may be used instead of the peculiar pickets shown inFig. 5, or asquare mesh fence may be made by using the form of wire picket shown inFig. 9, without departing from my invention. In order to hold thepickets in proper transverse alinement any desired means may be used,for instance, I arrange, adjacent one end head 16, a gage plate 61against which the ends of the pickets may abut. The size of fence anddistance between the running wires may be varied by merely adjusting theheads 16 longitudinally on the shaft 11. In place of the singlestationary gage plate 61, the outer head 16 may be provided with aseries of gage fingers against which the ends of the pickets may beabut-ted.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a fence machine, in combination, a continuously revolved frame, aplurality of rows of twisters on said frame, longitudinally movablerack-bars in mesh with said twisters, a longitudinally movable pusherfor shoving the rack-bars in one direction, a second longitudinallymovable pusher for shoving the rack-bars in an opposite direction, aframe common to both pushers, and means for alternately moving saidpusher frame in opposite directions.

2. In a fence machine, in combination, a continuously revolved frame, aplurality of rows of twisters on said frame, longitudinally movablerack-bars in mesh with said twisters, a longitudinally movable pusherfor shoving the rack-bars in one direct-ion, a second longitudinallymovable pusher for shoving the rack-bars in an opposite direction, aframe common to both pushers, means for alternately moving said pusherframe in opposite directions, and retractable means for the. rack-bars,with which said rack-bars engage during the alternate operations of thepusher frame.

3. In a fence machine, in combination, a shaft, a frame revoluble withsaid shaft, means for operating the shaft, a plurality of rows oftwisters on said frame, rackbars in mesh with the twisters and movableaxially of the shaft, a frame also movable axially of said shaft, meanson the lastmentioned frame for moving the rack-bars in one direction andmeans also on said frame for moving the rack-bars in an oppositedirection, and means for moving said axially movable frame.

.4. In a fence machine, in combination, a shaft, a frame revoluble withsaid shaft, worm gearing for operating said shaft, a plurality of rowsof twisters on said frame, rack-bars in. mesh with the twisters andmovable axially of the shaft, a frame also movable axially of saidshaft, a pair of pushers on said last-mentioned frame,.0ne

of said pushers. adapted to successively en:

gage the raok-bars to move them in one direction and the other pusheroperating al ternately with said first-mentioned pusher to move therack-bars in an opposite direcana, this 19th day of December, A. D. onetion, a revoluble member for operating the thousand nine hundred andfive.

pusher frame, and a itman bar connected with said pusher fram e and Withsaid revo- JOHN STODDARD' 5 luble member. Witnesses:

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set JOHN C. DoDsoN, my hand and sealat Cambridge City, Indi- SANTFORD WILsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

